‘Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer’ Coming to Blu-ray!

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, ranked as one of “The 20 Scariest Movies of All Time” by Entertainment Weekly, becomes even more frightening in high definition when Dark Sky Films releases the film on Blu-ray for the first time. The disc, which includes by director commentary, deleted scenes, documentaries and other extras, arrives on September 29, 2009, with an SRP of $29.98.Director John McNaughton’s fact-based drama became instantly notorious upon its premiere at the 1986 Chicago Film Festival. Its story of a conscienceless murderer was so grimly and matter-of-factly presented that it received an NC-17 rating (later surrendered) upon its commercial release in 1990.

Michael Rooker (“The Bone Collector,” “The Replacement Killers”) gives a chilling performance as Henry, a drifter who leads an ex-jail mate on a killing spree in Chicago, choosing victims at random and varying the execution method to avoid detection. Critic Roger Ebert called the film “an unforgettable portrait of the pathology of a man for whom killing is not a crime but simply a way of passing time and relieving boredom.” Two decades later, it has lost none of its power to horrify.

Director McNaughton (“Wild Things”) provides running commentary on the Blu-ray disc, which also includes deleted scenes and outtakes, documentaries about the making of the film and about the real Henry Lee Lucas, storyboards, trailers and a stills gallery.